Heathrow security staff row

Heathrow airport is short of 300 security officers despite increased fears of a terrorist attack, it was revealed today.

The airport's operator, BAA, has been ordered to report to Transport Secretary Alistair Darling on what it will do to end the staff crisis.

The shortage comes despite a massive increase in security since the September 11 attacks and repeated warnings from intelligence services of the danger of a terrorist outrage in the UK.

Transport minister John Spellar revealed the extent of the problem to MPs in the Commons. Mr Spellar said: "It is particularly frustrating for passengers to be waiting in queues and to see a large number of the scanning machines not in operation because of shortages of staff.

"It is a matter of considerable concern to us and we're pursuing it with considerable vigour."

His comments came after Labour MP Brian Donohoe, a member of the transport select committee, told him: "The whole thing is an absolute scandal and requires your attention. I understand that there are new rules as far as security is concerned but BAA is not addressing them as they should."

A spokesman for BAA said the shortfall was because of increasingly
stringent Government security standards.

"The situation arises because of a number of additional security
requirements which the Goverment has imposed over UK airports," the
spokesman said.

"That would include the confiscation of sharp items and a more recent
directove about people having to take overcoats off before going through
x-ray metal detectors.

"The process of clearing and training new staff clearly takes some time,
but additional staff are being brought in to the airport each week."

Heathrow has been at the centre of a series of security alerts. Most recently 450 troops, some of them in tanks, were called in amid fears that Islamic terrorists had smuggled a surface-to-air missile launcher into the country.